Brazilian Social Movements Turn Out In Show of Support for Venezuela

Social movements in Brazil have turned out to show solidarity with Venezuela, demonstrating in Sao Paulo in support of Venezuela’s sovereignty and its democratic process.

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The Brazilian Committee for Peace in Venezuela organized the event, calling on “the people of Brazil to cooperate in the defense of democracy and self-determination of Venezuelans, their right to live in peace and to define their own destiny.”

In a statement, the committee announced, "We want to position ourselves, to put, above all, the anti-fascist and anti-imperialist struggle that unifies us."

Social movements and political parties including the Landless Workers Movement (MST), Popular Front Brazil and People Without Fear have been attending the rally.

“What is happening in Venezuela is an offense ... both externally, international, imperialist and interventionist, as well as internally, in the opposition, which has carried various acts of violence,” said Paola Estrada, from the Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America.

Other speakers publicly denounced actions targeting Venezuela by the U.S. government, including the sanctions announced last week, as well as threats of military intervention made earlier this month by the U.S. President Donald Trump.

"Ex-Chancellor Celso Amorim is present (at our event). Amorim was Foreign Minister of Itamar Franco under the two Lula governments, and Defense Minister (under) Dilma Rousseff."

"At the moment when the fascist Trump speaks of 'military options' against our neighboring nation, we cannot hesitate to defend the peace of the Bolivarian revolution," said the founder of the Barón de Itararé Center for Studies in Alternative Media, Altamiro Borges.